


Sing Your Heart Out

by Zykaben



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Getting Together, Hurt/Comfort, Karaoke, Season/Series 04
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-06-10
Packaged: 2021-03-04 05:20:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,512
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24638233
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zykaben/pseuds/Zykaben
Summary: Melanie has a bit of a rough therapy session. Luckily, Georgie has an idea that she thinks will help cheer her up.
Relationships: Georgie Barker/Melanie King
Comments: 12
Kudos: 47





	Sing Your Heart Out

**Author's Note:**

> This was written for someone who wanted some fluffy What The Girlfriends. I very much appreciate the request and it was a lot of fun to write. Thank you so much!
> 
> Also huge thanks to [LeanMeanSaltineMachine](https://archiveofourown.org/users/LeanMeanSaltineMachine/) for beta reading as well as [meverri](https://archiveofourown.org/users/meverri/) for giving me the idea of what Georgie and Melanie should do.
> 
> Please enjoy!

Georgie knows that Melanie has had a rough session at therapy the moment she sees her.

There’s no one specific thing that tips her off. Even if pressed, Georgie would have a hard time putting her finger on just how she can tell Melanie has donned a mask. Maybe it’s how Melanie’s hands hang at her sides, stiff and still instead of fidgeting or swinging. Maybe it’s the set of her shoulders, how they’re rolled back in a way that comes naturally only to hardened drill sergeants and overly-anxious teens attending their first interview. Maybe it’s how Melanie’s expression is pulled into something tight and blank, stretching like an empty canvas across her face. 

Maybe it’s all of those things together. Maybe it’s none of them, something else entirely. The “why” of it doesn’t matter, not really. What matters right now is _Melanie._

Georgie reaches over from the driver’s seat to unlock the passenger door—the little button that’s supposed to do that automatically has been busted for _ages_ —and turns down the radio, the true-crime podcast she’d started listening to quieting to a gentle murmur.

Melanie makes her way over steadily, her strides measured and wooden. Georgie gives a little wave through the window as Melanie opens the car door. Melanie gives her a small smile in return, a strained thing that doesn’t quite reach her eyes. She sits carefully, a far cry from how she usually seems to fall into most of her seats.

The door swings closed with a satisfying thump. Melanie does not say anything as she puts on her safety belt.

Georgie gives her a few seconds to settle before speaking. “How’d it go?”

“It was fine.”

Georgie sits patiently, waiting for Melanie to continue. However, the silence simply stretches and grows between them, and Georgie realizes that no further explanation is forthcoming.

“Do you… want to talk about it?” Georgie asks, taking care to keep her voice soft and unassuming.

Something in Melanie’s mask cracks at that, just a bit. She opens her mouth, her brow furrowing and nose scrunching in such a familiar way that Georgie is already bracing herself to be snapped at. Then Melanie pauses. Closes her mouth. Exhales through her nose and looks down at her lap.

“Sorry, I’m not—” Melanie cuts herself off. She starts playing with her fingers while she speaks. “I’m not trying to lie about it or anything. It really _was_ fine, I promise. It was also just, I dunno, a lot?” Melanie’s gaze flits over to Georgie. She’s still tense, but there’s something in her posture that doesn’t feel as forced now.

Georgie offers her a smile. “I get what you mean. You don’t have to talk about it with me if you don’t want to. I just wanted to—”

“It’s not that I don’t want to talk to you about it,” Melanie says in a rush. “It’s—I spent an hour talking about it already and it’s…”

“… It’s a lot,” Georgie echoes.

“Yeah. Yeah, it is.”

Georgie can only nod. She fiddles with her key for a moment before placing it in the ignition.

“It was about—”

“You don’t need to tell me, Mel.”

“I know, I know. I want to, though. I want to tell you stuff, even if I don’t want to talk about it.” Melanie groans, “That didn’t make any sense, did it.”

“No, it did. I get what you’re saying.” Georgie wants to reach out, to offer touch, comfort. She doesn’t, instead watching as her hand twitches in an aborted motion. “I want to hear whatever you want to say. You don’t have to pretend that you’re okay if you’re not.”

Melanie smiles at her. This one is real, charmingly lopsided and crinkling the corners of her eyes. It’s one of Georgie’s favorite smiles. “Thanks. So, yeah. It was about, uh, the thing with Elias. With my dad.”

Georgie’s fingers curl, tightening their grip on the steering wheel. She doesn’t know everything about what happened, but there have been enough vague details and half-mumbled comments from Melanie for Georgie to know that the full picture is something utterly abhorrent.

“I don’t know if MJ actually believes any of it, like for real,” Melanie continues, eyes drifting to stare out of the window. “I’m pretty sure she thinks I’m using it as some sort of framing device? Maybe that’s not the right word, but you get what I’m saying. The whole ‘Oh, Melanie’s not talking around what _literally_ happened, it’s all metaphors’ thing. She talked like she thought it was real, though. Gave pretty good advice, too. But it just…”

Something in Georgie _aches_ as Melanie trails off. She steels herself and slowly, tentatively, brings her hand to bridge the gap between them. She rests it on Melanie’s shoulder, the touch feather-light and hesitant.

Melanie doesn’t flinch or startle. She just turns to look at Georgie again. Another smile—not as endearingly crooked as before, but just as genuine and warm, if not moreso. Melanie moves to place her own hand over Georgie’s. Her fingers are warm and calloused.

“Thinking about it always makes me feel so _angry_ ,” Melanie says like a confession. “Not as bad as I was with the ghost bullet, but remembering how powerless I felt and how smug he was I just—it makes me want to scream.”

“Didn’t you say MJ told you that screaming is a perfectly fine thing to do when you feel like that?” Georgie asks, only half-joking.

Melanie huffs out a little laugh. “Yeah, she does. It’s… it’s good. The screaming, I mean. It’s just—it’s releasing all this pent up energy and _feelings_ and it’s weirdly cathartic.”

“I don’t think it’s that weird.” And honestly, it isn’t. Georgie gets it. Hell, she used to—

Hold on.

Georgie shifts awkwardly in her seat and pulls her phone out. She jabs in the passcode and, one quick Google search later, confirms her suspicions.

Oh this is _perfect._

“Something up?”

“No. Well, a bit,” Georgie says. She puts her phone down and looks up at Melanie’s curious expression. “I just checked and they’re doing karaoke night at that queer bar I like, Moonlit. I haven’t gone in a while, but it’s a lot of fun.”

Melanie’s face widens in faint surprise. “Oh. That sounds… cool.”

Georgie can’t fight the grin working its way onto her face. “Do you want to come? I can drop you off at your flat afterwards.” Maybe it’s a little silly of Georgie to ask the girl she has a crush on to go and sing karaoke at a queer bar without actually _asking her out_ but, well. This isn’t about that. Right now it’s about cheering Melanie up.

“ _Oh._ Oh, yeah, I’d love to!” The smile Georgie likes best is back on Melanie’s face. “I haven’t done karaoke in—wow, ages. Years, at least. Maybe not since uni, even.”

“Sounds like you’re well past due, then,” Georgie teases. “It’s a good thing you’ve got me.”

“Yeah. It is.”

Melanie sounds so painfully sincere that Georgie finds herself having to stamp down the heat that threatens to rise to her face. No need to read too much into a genuine answer. This is just going to be a fun karaoke night between friends.

Georgie resists the sudden, inexplicable urge to clear her throat. “You're all set to head out then?”

Melanie makes a sweeping gesture towards the windshield. “By all means. A mystical night of off-key singing awaits.”

With an exaggerated, fond roll of her eyes, Georgie turns the key and starts the car.

* * *

Moonlit is just how Georgie remembers it: dim lighting, cozy tables, and vibrant splashes of colors that radiate from sleek neon signs. The air is humid and heavy, thick with the scent of beer and adrenaline. There’s a raised platform with black carpeting that could generously be called a stage that presses against the rightmost wall, an open section of the floor laid out before it. Five people clad all in black mill about on top of the stage, looking over musical instruments and chatting in voices that Georgie can’t hear above the general clamor of the patrons. 

Something like a blanket settles in Georgie’s chest, warm and comfortable and full of fuzz. She hadn’t realized just how much she’d missed coming here until now.

A lifetime ago, she might have been anxious about bringing Melanie here. Now, though, she only watches Melanie’s face with a sense of hopeful curiosity.

Melanie takes in the bar eagerly, a faint smile playing on her lips. She pauses when her eyes land on the band.

“I thought you said that there’d be karaoke?” Melanie asked. “Not that I’m complaining or anything. Just wondering.”

“Oh, there will be,” Georgie promised. “Come on, let’s grab a table.”

Melanie cast one last mildly confused glance at the band before following.

They eventually find an open table along the wall farthest from the stage. It’s round and tiny, barely big enough to fit the two seats tucked under it. After some maneuvering and knocking a few limbs together, they manage to settle comfortably, seats scooted closer together so that they can both get as good a view of the band as they can.

Georgie turns to face Melanie. She’s close, closer than Georgie had initially thought. Georgie makes the very deliberate choice not to move away.

“Sooo… does the karaoke start after the band plays?”

Georgie only realizes that she’s been staring when Melanie glances over at her. “Oh, no. They’re part of it. It’s live-band karaoke. The second Saturday of every month they bring in the band and have Emo Karaoke Night.”

“They have _what_?” Melanie demands incredulously. She’s grinning.

“Emo Karaoke Night,” Georgie repeats. Melanie’s excitement is infectious. “They know a bunch of ‘emo’ songs, the ones that teens would always scream along to ten years ago. You pick a song from the list they have and they play it while you sing your heart out.”

“Oh my _fuck_ , why is that not a thing?”

“Considering we’re at it right now? I’d say it _is_ a thing.”

“Then why isn’t _everywhere_? Why am I only just hearing about this _now_?”

Georgie brings a hand up to cover her mouth, trying to smother her laughter even as her shoulders shake with it.

Melanie shakes her head in amazed disbelief. “How did you even find out about this?”

“Hm,” Georgie takes a moment to wrack her mind. “I don’t remember when I first heard about it; I was always just kind of peripherally aware of it once I started coming here. I didn’t actually _go_ to one until around when, ah, Jon started staying with me. I didn’t know what was happening, not really, just that he was on the run for _murder_ and kept reading statements. It was… stressful. I ended up being here on one of the nights they were doing this, went ‘why the hell not,’ and signed up for a song. It was… it was good. Cathartic and fun. I started coming every month after that. Fell off of it while Jon was… out.”

Georgie’s voice trails off. Melanie leans over to bump their shoulders together. Georgie smiles and leans over to bump her back.

“You seemed stressed and it’s been a while since I’ve done this,” Georgie continues, “and it just so happened to be the second Saturday of the month. So why not? Get a little tipsy, cheer up some, have a fun night.”

Melanie’s expression is impossibly soft and open. Georgie wants to follow the lines of her face with her fingertips. “That sounds—yeah. That sounds great. Do you think they’ll, that they’ll let us sing a song together? I mean, if we can even find a song that we both know.”

Georgie can feel her face splitting into a grin. She stands up and grabs onto Melanie’s hand. “Let’s find out.”

The list of songs has changed since Georgie’s last been. She and Melanie pore over the songs, pointing out which ones they both know. Georgie doesn’t feel too strongly one way or the other about any of the songs by the time they’re getting close to the bottom of the list. At the sound of Melanie’s gasp, she looks up at her.

Melanie’s eyes are practically shining. “They have Check Yes Juliet.”

Georgie doesn’t even think of saying no.

They let the band know their names and what song they want to sing, getting smiles and confirmations in return. Once it’s all squared away, Melanie starts dragging Georgie to the bar.

“We have to get something if you want to deliver on the whole ‘get a little tipsy’ part of the plan,” Melanie insists, bright and mischievous. Georgie rolls her eyes even as she smiles and agrees.

They get back to the table, Melanie practically giggling as they try to get situated again without spilling their drinks. Georgie sips at her cider lest she do something crazy like telling Melanie just how adorable the sound is.

It’s only once they’re settled that Georgie notices that they’re sitting even more closely together now. She can feel Melanie’s thigh brush against her, can see Melanie’s eyelashes brush against her cheek as she blinks, can catch the faint, fruity scent of Melanie’s shampoo.

Melanie is watching her back. Georgie can’t look away.

Melanie swallows. She passes her drink from her right hand to her left. She is still for a few seconds before she places her right hand on the table, movements wooden and unsure. Her hand rests between them, palm facing upward. Melanie turns away. Georgie wouldn’t have known Melanie was bouncing her leg if they weren’t practically pressed against each other.

Georgie’s heart doesn’t race, but she can still feel adrenaline shoot throughout her body. Slowly, carefully, she takes her left hand from her lap. She feels as though she’s moving through honey as she finally places her hand over Melanie’s.

Melanie’s hand is just as warm as before as Georgie laces their fingers together. Georgie squeezes, just enough for Melanie to feel the pressure of it. Melanie squeezes back, just as tenderly.

Georgie leans in towards Melanie. She lowers her head until it rests on Melanie’s shoulder. Closes her eyes and takes in a deep breath. She can feel Melanie shift, knows that anxiety would be rushing through her if she could still feel fear. Breathes out when she feels Melanie rest her chin on the top of Georgie’s head.

Later, Georgie thinks, they’ll sing. They’ll get up on stage and scream out lyrics that they mostly remember, grinning like fools and pantomiming along with the words. Maybe they’ll keep holding hands. Maybe Georgie will invite Melanie back to hers for tea, for coffee, for anything that means they get to stay near each other a little longer. Georgie hopes they end up cuddling on the couch until they fall asleep. Maybe they’ll kiss.

For now though, Georgie is here, with Melanie pressed up solid and warm against her.

For now, the future can wait.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading. Please be sure to kudo and leave a comment if you enjoyed this fic!
> 
> You can find me [here on tumblr.](https://zykaben.tumblr.com) Feel free to hit me up there!


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